The concrete makeup of a new Russian government is not reported yet

On Tuesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presented to President Vladimir Putin his proposals on the structure and the concrete makeup of a new government. Concrete names of candidates were not reported yet. Putin pledged to begin consultations with the candidates for ministers on Wednesday. The observers noted that no special changes are expected in the list of the names of concrete statesmen.

The questions about personal appointments on the posts of first deputy prime ministers and deputy prime ministers, as well as ministers remain unsettled, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reported. Meanwhile, the observers noted that no special changes are expected in the list of concrete statesmen, because Vladimir Putin will still set the guidelines of economic policy.

The question who in particular from acting ministers will stay at their posts and whether someone new will be appointed will be settled in next few days after the return of Dmitry Medvedev from a G8 summit. However, the media continue to make assumptions who will stay for sure at his post in the Cabinet.

“With a high degree of probability one can affirm that Igor Shuvalov and Vladislav Surkov, Dmitry Kozak and Dmitry Rogozin will retain their posts. Viktor Zubkov will leave the government for sure. Head of the government staff Anton Vaino will also leave this post for the work in the Kremlin,” a source in the authorities quoted by the newspaper said on Tuesday.

The source noted that Igor Sechin will also most likely leave the Cabinet. “In any case, his recent appointment as a member of the Rosneftegaz board of directors allows making this particular conclusion. On the contrary, his post in the government would be an obvious challenge against Medvedev’s policy regarding the role of officials in the management of the state-run corporations,” he said.

By all appearances, Sergei Lavrov and Anton Siluanov will stay at their posts, the source pointed out.

“Today one can assume that the economic officials in the government will be liberal, and the chief law enforcers will be conservative. The role and significance of concrete officials and the names on ministerial posts are secondary,” deputy general director of the Centre of Political Technologies Alexei Makarkin said.

Noting that in 2004 and 2008 the government was formed much quicker, the Kommersant daily reported that there is a factor that complicates the formation of a new government, as the former president was appointed as prime minister, and the former premier was elected as president. Therefore, a larger number of top officials than in another situation should be reshuffled and redistributed between the presidential administration and the government in a more complicated way. The newspaper also recalled that the president and particularly the prime minister had the ideas for radical reshuffles of the government, even by 80% thanks to the attraction of a new generation of professionals. Some candidates were included in the committee of Dmitry Medvedev’s supporters and in the working group for the formation of the Open Government.

The experts do not rule out that the government personnel problem was raised over the protesting actions held simultaneously with the formation of the government. “I believe that Putin will pursue a tough policy and therefore would like to get acquainted better with those people, who will settle various issues, and would like to make some changes in Medvedev’s proposals,” a Communist deputy in the State Duma Vadim Solovyev told the Kommersant daily. “In 2008 the government was formed amid a triumphant victory of United Russia and Medvedev, now the government is being shaped amid public protests and a lower electoral support. In this respect, some statesmen can be dismissed,” a political expert Yevgeny Minchenko believes.

“The government formation is dragged out, because two top officials are forming it contrary to the situation in 2008, when Putin did all himself,” first vice-president of the Centre of Political Technologies Alexei Makarkin believes.

Unfortunately Russia is forming a government not as civilized countries get used to do it, the Novye Izvestia daily cited general director of the Council of National Strategy Valery Khomyakov as saying. “At first they understand that there is some problem and it should be settled, then an agency is formed and an official is appointed to settle this problem. At first good and obedient officials are appointed. Only then some structure of the government is formed,” the expert elaborated. Meanwhile, the political expert noted that the structure of the Russian government is too complicated and inefficient. The coordination procedure takes 95% of work time in the government, those officials who worked in the government said. Therefore, it is not so important who will take some posts, the expert believes.